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November 22, 2017

‘Chai-Wala versus Bar-Wala’: All out war on social media between Congress-BJP over Meme-Tweet

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>On defensive after a tweet of Youth Congress’s online magazine Yuva Desh mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tea-seller origin, Congress on Wednesday went all out against BJP after its MP Paresh Rawal took ‘bar-wala’ jibe, which he deleted finally, conceding it was ‘in bad taste’.“Our Chai-Wala is any better than your Bar-Wala,” Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East said on Twitter reacting to ‘chaiwallah’ remark for Modi in a meme on Yuva Desh handle.”The meme, now deleted, showed PM Modi speaking to US President Donald Trump and Britain’s PM Theresa May in Hindi speech bubbles. PM Modi is seen asking, “Have you guys seen how may-may’s made on me by the opposition?”. Trump corrects PM Modi and responds, “It is called memes not maymays”, while Britain’s PM is seen responding with remarks, “you sell tea”.As BJP went all guns blazing, an apparently embarrassed Congress on Tuesday disapproved of the tweet with Congress’ media in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeting “INC strongly disapproves and rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for the PM and all political opponents (sic).”The discomfiture in Congress with the meme was all the more palpable as it came just days after Rahul Gandhi’s advice to Congress party’s social media cadre in Gujarat, not to disrespect the PM’s post.Congress has been wary of any personal attack on Modi’s origins.In the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had mocked Modi’s tea-seller origin saying that while Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him. Many in the Congress felt the remark antagonized the poor.Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani termed the tweet of ‘Yuva Desh’ as “classist and anti-poor” and asked Rahul Gandhi if he supports this kind of tweet.Whereas, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul as to whether they ‘still believe that only u have a divine right to rule India’. He also said Congress ‘thinking towards the poor stands exposed’A day after the embarrassment, Congress on Wednesday got its chance.Latching on to the tweet of Rawal, Surjewala remarked “To what cheapness and filth, the BJP MP of Gujarat has stooped. Is this the BJP’s definition of the honour of women. Modiji apologise and take action…”Rawal later tweeted, ‘deleted the tweet as it’s in bad taste n I apologise for hurting feelings’.However, when a twitter user asked him why does he not delete his Twitter handle itself, Rawal replied: “Cong ke delete hote hi account bhi automatically delete Ho jayega.”The all-out war on social media has broken out between BJP and Congress in the run up to Gujarat polls as the medium is playing a big role in the high-octane election campaign by both sides.Rawal’s earlier tweet about tying author Arundhati Roy to army jeep instead of a stone pelter, had also kicked in a controversy in May this year.